Personal Finance

CIBC Aerogold VISA Infinite Users, what do you think?

  • Last Updated:
  • Feb 4th, 2011 11:23 pm
Tags:
None
Banned
Oct 11, 2010
166 posts
12 upvotes

CIBC Aerogold VISA Infinite Users, what do you think?

I'm just curious what you guys think of the Aerogold Infinite so far?
I've had mine for about 2 years now. I just tried booking a round-trip flight to Boston for 15,000 AP points and the taxes are almost $200 which is exactly half of the price of regular fare. Then I tried booking a return flight to San Fran and there aren't any available, bah!

I'm starting to think using Aeroplan points for short travel flights isn't worth it considering it's $120 for the card + $200 for taxes... $320!
14 replies
Sr. Member
Jul 25, 2005
931 posts
48 upvotes
cmyster wrote: I'm just curious what you guys think of the Aerogold Infinite so far?
I've had mine for about 2 years now. I just tried booking a round-trip flight to Boston for 15,000 AP points and the taxes are almost $200 which is exactly half of the price of regular fare. Then I tried booking a return flight to San Fran and there aren't any available, bah!

I'm starting to think using Aeroplan points for short travel flights isn't worth it considering it's $120 for the card + $200 for taxes... $320!

If you expect free flights, then you will be disappointed with availability and taxes and fees. If you look at Aeroplan miles as a discount coupon, you'll be somewhat less disappointed. The availability to use your 'coupon' will still frustrate you though. If you can avoid flying on AC completely, and book Star Alliance flights, you will save a ton on taxes and fees.
Banned
Oct 11, 2010
166 posts
12 upvotes
jonmar wrote: If you expect free flights, then you will be disappointed with availability and taxes and fees. If you look at Aeroplan miles as a discount coupon, you'll be somewhat less disappointed. The availability to use your 'coupon' will still frustrate you though. If you can avoid flying on AC completely, and book Star Alliance flights, you will save a ton on taxes and fees.

Oh I'm not against paying the taxes by any means, I'm just trying to figure out if the card is even worth it.
Am I able to use my points when booking on on Star Alliance?
Sr. Member
Nov 22, 2010
759 posts
168 upvotes
Toronto
If you typically book reward tickets in economy to/from major cities, you are better off with a cash back card and then using that to pay for the ticket.

You get the best value out of FF programs on first/business class tickets.
Jr. Member
Nov 9, 2009
111 posts
5 upvotes
Toronto
If this is your primary means of collecting Aeroplan points, then I'd say don't go with it. Aeroplan is a semi-decent program only if you are an Elite or Super Elite, where you can get around blackouts and route availability. Aeroplan for short-haul is just a straight up rip-off... I'll only use it for long-haul J class fares.

If your the kind of user that collects with cc only, then go with a non-affiliated program like the aventura, as it gives you similar protections but with more flexibility.

For me the Aerogold Infinite makes sense based on my usage of Air Canada, and that I collect Aeroplan at every opportunity.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Jun 26, 2005
10111 posts
1966 upvotes
Toronto
Use Aeroplan VISA points for travelling far. Like Hong Kong. Taxes was around $300 ? So, an average ticket to HK is about $1200 to 1380.
Newbie
User avatar
Mar 6, 2010
53 posts
Oakville
Aeroplan points are better when booking haul North American or inter-continental long haul flights in business class. See each point being worth $0.03 to $0.04 and if the fare is cheaper, buy the ticket and gain the points i.e. economy to Boston from YYZ is 15,000 points or $450.00 + tax; you can get a rtn ticket to BOS with AC including tax for $300. Now, a business class trip to London is 85,000 points or $2550 + tax. The cheapest business class ticket to London is just under $4000 with tax.

In answer to the question; I have the card and it is primary card. I have just booked my second business class ticket to Europe with them and most of my points were from the card.
Sr. Member
Jul 25, 2005
931 posts
48 upvotes
I have been with CIBC Aerogold/Infinite for years. It can be okay if booking economy tickets, but you really have to watch. On another thread I posted my experience with two flight to Montreal for Grand Prix. 30 000 miles plus $335 in taxes. Instead I booked two flight with West Jet for just over $400. On the other side, I booked a flight to Honolulu, great flight times with a Star Alliance airline (United). It was 40 000 miles and $110 in taxes. The cost if paying full freight at the time I booked would have been $920 all in.

I think the problem many have with Aeroplan is that they don't understand the ins and outs of using their miles. To the layman, they collect all these miles, try to book something a month in advance and find no availability. When they do find availability, they flip out when they see how much their 'free flight' is going to cost them. Star Alliance flights work better since they don't charge fuel surcharges which AC does upon Aeroplan redemption.

I switched to TD First Class last week simply for the freedom to find my own deal first and then use points against the charge.
Deal Guru
Sep 9, 2003
10592 posts
4839 upvotes
Burnaby
You're right that short haul flights are not worth it, especially from a major city like Toronto. The thing about taxes is that they don't vary all that much if you're going to be taking Air Canada - it'll be 200-300 regardless of your destination. And as the above posters mentioned, the absolute best deal comes from taking business class.

Vancouver to Hong Kong in October, all fares include around 200-300 of taxes:

Economy
Direct: $1100 or 75,000 Aeroplan miles + ~280 tax (limited availability)
1 connecting flight: $850 or 75,000 Aeroplan miles + ~280 tax (better availability)

Business class:
Direct: $5,100 or 100,000 Aeroplan miles + ~280 tax (generally zero availability unless booked way in advance... like half to a year?)
1 connecting flight: $3,400 or 100,000 Aeroplan miles +~280 tax (decent availability as long as you're still a few months out)

While the points in business cost a mere 33% more, the cash price is 400-450% more
Deal Addict
Dec 31, 2009
1568 posts
154 upvotes
I've never been a big Aeroplan kind of guy. I'm an Airmiles junkie to be perfectly honest, and that's just for the car washes and other small merchandise.

I had a CIBC Visa for a few years and changed to the Infinite this past summer. I figured I'd give Aeroplan a decent shot. I've had the account for a few years but retailers around here are so scarce that I rarely ever had a chance to accumulate miles. I got the Visa mainly for the insurance coverage because I'm starting to travel again.

When I received the card I threw AM to the wayside and am working on accumulating AP miles for the time being. My goal is a single executive class seat to Vegas. I was hoping to be done in a year but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

The last time I checked I think it was 172,000 AP miles to book on Air Canada.

But if I wanted to book on United I could do it for 60,000. I could probably reach that by the end of the year, however I'd have to connect in some hellhole airport in the USA, which I don't want to do.

So, I'm happy with the Visa itself, but racking up AP miles is so slow going it'll be a few years before I ever make it to Vegas.
Deal Guru
Sep 9, 2003
10592 posts
4839 upvotes
Burnaby
Paulfistinyourface wrote: The last time I checked I think it was 172,000 AP miles to book on Air Canada.

It's 40,000 on business direct (Air Canada only has business), or 60k on United First. Once those cheap tickets run out, the price only goes up. For example, it's normally 100k minimum to fly business to Hong kong. For the dates I'm going in May, the extra access flight rewards has it up to 950k miles

If you don't see business class for 40k, you'll have to be more flexible with your dates. Looking at October 2011, it seems like many Las Vegas to Toronto direct flights are taken.
Deal Addict
Dec 31, 2009
1568 posts
154 upvotes
crimsona wrote: It's 40,000 on business direct (Air Canada only has business), or 60k on United First. Once those cheap tickets run out, the price only goes up. For example, it's normally 100k minimum to fly business to Hong kong. For the dates I'm going in May, the extra access flight rewards has it up to 950k miles

If you don't see business class for 40k, you'll have to be more flexible with your dates. Looking at October 2011, it seems like many Las Vegas to Toronto direct flights are taken.
Thanks for the tip. I openly admit I'm not that skilled at searching for flights on the AP website, probably because it looks like it was designed/coded by idiots.

But I'm slowly figuring it out. And I did find a flight in business class in December 2011 for 40K, but the return flight has me routed thru Mars or something.
Member
Mar 22, 2007
304 posts
117 upvotes
Whitchurch-stouffvil…
I'd never take a short trip flight using my aeroplan miles. It's cheaper and better to pay the fare most of the time.
Save your points and use them for a long haul flight or the "round the world" trip if you can afford it. This is discussed @ http://www.flyertalk.com and it is where I get my tips for flying.

For booking overseas flights they generally recommend booking as soon as possible if you want to do a spring/summer trip. We're going from Toronto-Tokyo-Hong Kong-San Francisco-Toronto all on 65K points per person. As seats gets filled the points required goes up...that's why my uncle asked how I got 65K to do all of that when all he wanted was to book a flight to HK in the summer and they told him 85K points for economy.

i love my aeroplan miles and will use them for this kind of big trip every few years if I can accumulate the points.

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)